A Snowy Retreat (Elderflower, PM to join)

[IceStorm]

The fact that Fire told her that it made her happy that Ice trusted her was a relief for Ice. Fire also started telling her that as she found there are plenty of ponies in Ponyville that aren't mean and that she understood from a pony that's been hurt so many times that they would feel the only option was to shield themselves. That this would also close out anything good in their lives as well, and that she was happy that she felt that she was trusted enough not to hurt her. She also agreed with the princess in stating that there were bad times, but they weren't all the time. She stated that if she continued to feel bad and not try to meet all of the new ponies in a new area then it would be just as bad as before.

She looked over to Princess Luna who had grabbed a quill and scroll to begin writing the letter with their help, and Fire mentioning that it was good to get her thoughts on paper, even if it never found them, it wold be a weight lifted off of her by finally expressing the feelings she's been locking up inside of her. She took in a deep breath before looking back up to Luna and starting.

"Dear Mother and Father,

It's your daughter, Ice Storm. I know not if this letter will ever find you, or whether you will even care if it does. That doesn't change the fact of the matter of which I am writing, and that is because I do care. I don't know what hurts worse. The fact that you completely forgot about me while I was still living there as a filly right under your noses, or the fact that you never bothered to come looking for me after I left. None of that matters anymore though. All I want, the only thing I've ever wanted, was your love and compassion. It wasn't about the all the toys, or the games, or the shiney objects that you tried to buy my affection with. None of it could compare to the time I just wanted to spend with you," Ice stated her tears threatening to come back as she took a long painful swallow to get the knot out of her throat.

"The time that I was never allowed to have. Every day that I was in Canterlot I was hopeful that you would show up and take me home, and had you actually been looking for me you would have found me easily, but no matter. We can't change what's already happened. The reason I'm writing you is because I want to be a family again. Like the family we were before Golden Hoof came into your lives and gave you all the bits you could ever want. I want to be able to do things together, and spend time together. I would love to be able to get together and tell you about all of the things that I've managed to do and some of the ponies that I've managed to meet. Anything just to be able to connect and start anew. I know that we all probably have a sour taste in our moths from our previous experiences, I know that I still do, but I am hopeful to this day that I'm going to find you coming off of the Train looking for me.

A lot has happened in the many years that I've been on my own, and I have created my own little store after discovering my ability to manipulate Ice. I use my magic to provide treats for the local ponies in my shop, though I can use it for a means of protection if I absolutely had to. Thankfully I've never had to even though Canterlot didn't really set well with me when I first got there. Many of the ponies there I felt were rude when I first arrived, though after my experiences back at home, I wasn't very quick to trust other ponies or open up to them in that manner. In fact it wasn't after a long talk with the Princess of the Night herself that I broke down and finally decided to write this letter. The only thing now is I have no idea if this letter will even find you. If you do receive this letter though, and you wish to take up my offer of becoming a family again, I live in Ponyville now. I might try to Swing up by Fillydelphia at some point to see if you are still there if I haven't gotten a reply. That being said, if you don't care anymore or don't want to even try to be a family anymore, that's fine to. I just don't want this hanging over me anymore so this is either goodbye for now, or good by for good.

I hope to see or hear from you in the near future.

I do still love you, I can only hope you still love me too.

Love,

Ice Storm," she finished with the letter hoping that the princess got all of it and that she wasn't going too fast for her. "Though now that we have the letter wrote, it still doesn't change the fact that I have no idea where to send it. I don't remember the Address in Fillydephia, nor do I know if they are even still there. Unless you have a means of finding them that I'm not aware of," Ice mentioned to the princess hoping she had an answer.

[Lux]

The red unicorn was pleased to see that Ice Storm was doing better after speaking with her and Princess Luna. Sometimes talking things out did help especially if something bad happened. Fire Heart was glad that she could contribute, as the older filly wondered her effect of helping the hurt filly. The fact of having parents ignore Ice wasn't something that Fire could relate to, only the idea of perception and relating to others.

Fire scrunched her face up a little as Luna seemed to momentarily forget her being in the same room. It was just as well as the red unicorn wanted Ice to be taken care of. It was kind of funny though to miss a fire red unicorn with an orange spiky mane and tail.

The filly listened as Ice wrote the letter. The blue unicorn appeared to pour her heart into writing what she thought and what she wanted for the future with her parent. Although Fire would never say it fearing that it would upset Ice, the letter would, even if couldn't reach its intended destination, be a great way to get things off of the mare's mind.

"That sounds good Ice. You told them the truth as how you felt and what you want to see happen in the future. Not sure how to get it to where it needs to be though."

[Hippo]

Luna listened as Ice Storm lectured onto the paper. After a short while, she levitated a tissue to Ice Storm's face, to keep the stray tears from ruining the pages beneath her. The letter was longer than Luna was expecting. But it was good. Very cathartic, and satisfying to the spirit in the room. Everypony knew that this letter was addressed to Ice Storm's parents. But they all knew it was really for Ice Storm herself.

Luna nodded and smiled. And without hesitation, grabbed the letter with her magic and rolled it up. She put it in a scroll case and carried it out of sight. "Very good, Ice Storm. That will do. Don't worry about the logistics. I will see to it that this letter gets sent in the right direction." The princess had a wry smile on her face. She wasn't worried at all. The importance of Ice Storm carrying out her feelings and putting them down on paper and seeing them float away was a step in the right direction. "Now it is time to not dwell and let it go. What you could use is something new, something refreshing to help take your mind off the past and look towards an exciting future. And I know just the thing."

Luna stood up and looked at Ice Storm with decreeing intent. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a guards-pony whisper in her ear. Luna stared as she listened, and then smiled. She glanced at the clock on the wall and then spoke to the fillies. "Well, it looks like I have something to attend to first." Luna started walking towards the end of the room into the hallways that opened into the rest of the castle.

After she disappeared in the dimly lit hallway, her soft voice echoed back to the room. "Aren't you both coming?"

​

[IceStorm]

(Sorry for delays.)

Once Ice had finished getting everything out she could still feel the build up of emotions inside of her. After a few more moments, she found a tissue rubbing itself against her eyes to keep any tears from falling down onto the letter below and smudging and ruining it. She looked up to see that it was Luna that was holding the tissue with her magic as she finished the letter. She told her to not worry about the logistics and that she would make sure that the letter got to where it needed to go. This greatly relieved Ice Storm as she looked over to Fire Heart who had also mentioned that the letter sounded good, and that she was honest with herself. That they could only wait now to see what happened. Ice nodded before Luna started speaking again.

Luna spoke of something new and wonderful that Ice needed to take her mind off of the past and help her towards a brighter future and that she knew just the thing for her. Ice almost couldn't believe her ears. The Princess of the Night had something... for her? This was certainly the last thing that she was expecting. Of course, this evening had been full of things she wasn't expecting so far. She wasn't expecting to get trapped in a blizzard, or getting to spend the evening with the very pony she'd idolized for most of her life, so this should have been expected. Just then a guard entered the room and whispered in her ear. She then stated that she had something that she would have to attend to first. After walking out of the door, she looked back and asked if they were coming. Ice quickly got up and made her way beside her. "I would follow you anywhere, Princess," Ice stated truthfully letting the princess know that she had full trust in her as well that the negative emotions were slowly dissipating in her.

[Lux]

With the letter completed Fire Heart could see that it was like a weight had been lifted off of Ice Storm's back. While the red unicorn knew that the purpose of the letter was to try and reconnect with the blue mare's parents, Fire saw it as something else. It was a way for Ice Storm to vent all the frustration that she had penned up inside.

"it's alright," she said seeing Ice Storm crying, "Let it go. Sometimes crying helps. You did great with the letter. I'm sure Princess Luna will see to it getting to its destination."

Fire's ears then perked up when she heard the Princess mention that she had something for Ice Storm, something that was to help her. Fire wondered what that might be, although if it was something personally for the blue unicorn then she had no business to interfere. Still this evening was something that Fire would never imagine happening to her. Her life was far from boring, but this was a chance in a lifetime that few ponies got to experience.

Luna then departed the room, perhaps to attend to some royal duty. But in yet another twist, she called for Ice and Fire to follow here.

"I'm right behind you," she said following Ice Storm down the hall, eager to see what would happen next.

[Hippo]

Luna walked through the palace. It wasn't before long that it was obvious Luna was walking quite a ways through the corridors and the labyrinth of the Canterlot palace complex. She would lead the ponies up a few flights of stairs, pass down a few hallways that looked like reference libraries, up another flight of stairs, where it looked like there was a nighttime sky observatory, and then yet another flight of stairs, one that coiled tightly against itself up the tallest spire the complex had. When Luna arrived at the top, she took a scarf off a rack, put it on, and opened the glass double doors allowing the blizzard to spew it's chill through the top room. Once outside, she would close the doors behind her, locking the ponies inside with the warmth and away from the fierceness of the snow storm.

Luna looked up for a moment at the grey sky, and then flew up into the clouds, piercing through them and disappearing into the blizzardy sky. A few short moments later, the sky grew very dark. The darkness turned the grey clouds black, and the snow, no matter how cold, reflected the little light available off the billions of snow flakes that ripped through the atmosphere. And then, after a short moment, a disc lit up behind the clouds and rose to the top of the sky. It's appearances was behind the clouds, but its presence shown just enough through them. It was the moon.

Seconds later, Luna dropped out of the clouds in a fast glide, hitting the spire's balcony with a light flutter against the wind that torrented her wings. She then came through the door, allow the snow to peak inside for the moment before she shut it again. Luna shook herself lightly, dusting the snow that had shortly accumulated onto her body, and place the scarf back onto the rack. "Well, now that that's done, how about we play a game?" Luna asked the ponies curiously as she walked down the spires steps.

​

[IceStorm]

Hearing the words of everypony around her and how supportive they were Ice Storm followed the princess as she lead them throughout many different sections of the castle. Fire Heart was right behind her, and she could only imagine that she was taking in the sights like she was. There was just so much to take in. The castle itself was quite larger on the inside than it looked on the outside,and that was saying something! She was memorized with the passageways and the art on the walls as the walked by. When they entered the hallways with all of the reference books inside of it, it took all of her restraint to not instantly go over and start looking at any that interested her, which here in the castle most likely would have been a majority of them. Truth be told she wanted to learn more about everything, and learn why certain things cause ponies to react in certain ways. Perhaps then with that knowledge, she could use that skill to prevent other ponies from having to go through the same things that she did, and the same thing that Luna, and she was sure others had gone through. A few flights of stairs later and another corridor, they were at a large pair of doors that Luna had opened up and the blizzard made it's presence known.

The chilling air and the gusting snow piled inside for the brief moment that Luna had moved outside and the sky turned dark for a moment as a disk of light had started to appear behind the clouds. Ice then realized what was going on. They just got to watch the princess raise the moon!! Ice was almost melting inside, and felt honored that the princesses would include two random strangers to witness as such. Granted, everypony knew that Luna raised the moon, but it's one thing to know about it, and witness it first hoof. It was truly an amazing experience. That being said, it also created a very serious dilemma for her. The fact that the moon was raised and the blizzard showed absolutely no signs of slowing down, they were going to be staying here for the night. Ice Storm didn't mind this fact at all other than the fact that she had no idea how she was going to explain to the princess about that issue, however if an overnight stay was certain, it's something that the princess would have to know about before hand and was definitely not something that Ice wanted the princess finding out from it happening. This was starting to create a knot in Ice's stomach.

Her thoughts were cast away though when the princess landed back in front of them and shook all of the snow off of her. The first thing that went through her mind was how cold the princess had to of been after not only going through the Blizzard, but into the upper layers of it to raise the moon. She would have wrapped something around her, but there were no blankets or anything of the like in the area and Luna had already started walking down the steps and asked if perhaps they wanted to play a game. Ice's eyes lit up again, and her opinion of Luna grew by the minute, and she wold make sure that her name wasn't disrespected that was for sure. After everything she's seen to night, she could easily tell that most other ponies obviously didn't know what they were talking about. We'll see how nice she is when she finds out about that though... she thought to herself dreading the part of the night where they were going to fall asleep. For now though, they had a game to play. "What kind of game? I mean, what kinds do you have?" Ice asked the princess.

[Lux]

As Fire Heart followed Princess Luna and Ice Storm to their next destination, the older filly could barely contain her excitement. It was amazing enough the events that led to her ending up in a castle with none other that Princess Luna, a pony that many other only dreamed of meeting. She had also found another pony to speak to, one who although her powers contrasted the red unicorn's it was a comfort getting to know. Fire could only hope that their friendship could grow from there.

The castle itself was an amazing sight as although in her travels Fire passed by it from time to time the massive exterior paled in comparison to the grandeur of the inside. She took the moment during the journey to look around her, seeing the vaulted ceilings above her, the plush carpeting that she walked upon, and the myriad of paintings and tapestries that hung on the marble walls, depicting the history of Equestria and the Princesses. For a moment the unicorn paused when seeing the reference library, her curiosity peaked. Who knew what wonders could be found there! Fire Heart was an avid researcher of things, especially when it came to magic. She always desired to know the extent of her magic and better ways to control it, Most importantly her hope that in her research would yield a way to safely apply her magic. Perhaps that library was something to inquire about at a later time.

She quickly caught up to the other as they passed by the observatory and then to a balcony. At first Fire believed that she and Ice Storm were going to get a view of Canterlot, but then she watched as Princess Luna took flight. There her mouth opened in surprise when she saw what was happening. The unicorn was getting a first hoof account of watching the moon rise! Of course she knew that every night this was happening, but to actually see it while at the castle made it very magical. She could see that Ice Storm was equally as amazed as the red unicorn was, perhaps even more.

With the spectacle over and the memory still lingering, Luna returned covered in snow. She could only imagine how cold it was in the sky, of course never being able to be in the clouds. Luna then proposed a game, something that for whatever reason perplexed the red pony.

"A game would be nice," Fire said wondering what the Princess had in mind, "But Princess, have you always raised and lowered the moon so easily? I mean I could only imagine how much effort it takes. Oh and are you cold? I can warm you up with fire magic."

[Hippo]

Luna smiled and blushed slightly at the offer from Fire Heart. A fire spell seemed like a nice gesture from a unicorn to a Princess, but only in the context of their relationship. And since Fire Heart was a pony Luna was just now getting to know, she had to understand that the trust she has in ponies must first outweigh her doubt for them if she was to accept such a spell as a serviceable gift. So, she would have to decline in the most respectful way possible. "Oh, I'm sure your magic is good enough to do just that, but that wont be necessary. I was only out there for but a minute. I appreciate your offer, however."

Luna wanted to eventually tell Ice Storm what she wanted to tell her earlier before she was informed it was time to raise the moon. But it could wait. She just hoped that Ice Storm wasn't too anxious to hear what it was she was going to say.

Luna walked softly down the steps. "Me and my sister used to play lots of games with each other at a time like this. We still do. They would create this feeling of enjoyment, something you ponies would call 'fun'." Luna turned a corner and walked into a room that had its own fireplace, as many rooms in the castle do, and it was glowing embers from a depleted fire. The rest of the room feature several book cases, full of volumes that looked heavily used. It wasn't big enough to be a library and it shared space with a few tables that had interesting contraptions on top of them. One table had a scale model of Canterlot while another had a chess board in a state in which it looked like a game had been abandoned. Luna walked towards the chess set, thought for a moment, and then smiled while she levitated one of the pieces and moved it across the board. As soon as she finished moving it, she hit a button with her hoof that changed the icon above it to switch from a picture of a moon, to a picture of a sun.

"This, children, is my sister and I's game room. Here we tinker with things that arouse our interest." Luna motioned the others to join her reclining on the pillows next to the fire. "Fire Heart, would you like to rekindle our fire?"

Luna wanted to play a game with the girls, and she was hoping they would respond to it properly. "The game I would like us to play is called 'My Story'. It's played by telling a story to the others in the room from a perspective that is not your own. Your story can be as abstract as you want, but do not give away who, or what you are." Luna had played this game before with ponies that may not have been familiar, and she expected their faces to be perplexed. "I'll start."

"My story, begins in the deep woods. I was reclining in a tree. It was a nice day, the wind was lightly blowing, and the sun was free from cloud cover. But all of a sudden, the ground started shaking. And when I looked in the distance, I could see several ponies stampeding towards the tree I was in. There was twenty or thirty of them all running next to each other. And when they passed me by, I lost my grip of the tree I was in, and I fell down and hit the ground beneath. I never recovered from falling, and when winter came, I was covered in snow and froze to death. And that, is my story." Despite the fatal end of story, Luna smiled when she finished and waited for a response of some sort.

​

[IceStorm]

Ice followed the princess and listened to her as she explained that the place that they were heading was her and Celestia's game room. She was amazed that they even had such a thing! Obviously they would want time to unwind just like anypony else, but it was still something that wasn't completely expected. Luna explained it was a place where they went to tinker things that fancied their interest. Upon hearing this she briefly wondered if this is where Princess Luna brainstormed new designs for the evening stars that she was wanting to add, or how to make the nights even more beautiful. The sight of the moon though was more than enough for Icy though, especially now after getting a change to speak to her herself. In one night, Luna went from not only being her idle to hopefully one of her most precious friends, and one she would hope to keep as such. As much as some of the earlier situations had brought back some horrible memories, Ice Storm was very much happy with how things were turning out and she wouldn't have wanted to been anywhere else at the moment.

Then Luna turned to Fire and asked her to rekindle the fire in the game room if she could before talking about the game that they could play. She called it "My Story" and she said that it was supposed to be the telling of a story through the perspective of something else but you couldn't give away what it was because they would have to guess at what the perspective that the story was from. The princess then said that she would begin and she started to tell as story. One about reclining in a tree with a bunch of stampeding ponies, then falling out only to get covered in snow and die. Ice Storm thought for a moment before she realized the event. "You're speaking about the Running of the Leaves through the perspective of the leaf. The leaves see the ponies coming from inside the trees. As they ponies run by, the tremors from their hooves jostle the leaves loose and then they fall to the ground. It became obvious that you were talking about the leaves when you said that they were stranded, became covered in snow, and then left to die. For had it been anything else, or anything capable of movement on its own, then it wouldn't have been buried and left for death under the snow, or would have perished long before the first snow fell," Ice Storm explained.

Afterwards she looked back to Fire. "I think Fire should go next while I'm trying to think of a good one. I think you'll both like it when I'm done with it," she told them. She already knew the story that she was going to tell and the perspective that it would be from, but she just had to figure out how to word it. She had a feeling though Luna would appreciate it a lot though, especially if she worded it and pulled it off right. She soon turned back to Fire though and awaited her story and to see what she would come up with.

[Lux]

It didn't surprise Fire Heart that Princess Luna declined having the red unicorn perform her spell. With casting a spell on another pony, Fire knew that there needed to be a sense of trust, and usually this trust was coupled with a relationship between the caster and the one the spell was being cast upon. The fact that Fire Heart just dropped into the Princess's life this night the trust wasn't there as it would be between say the older filly and a friend. From what she could tell, Princess Luna wasn't afraid of her magic, but then again a pony of such great power shouldn't be afraid. Having the permission to light the fireplace added to Fire's feelings that the Princess had some sense of trust, just not enough to have it cast upon her. She could hope that with this meeting a seed would be planted for a future friendship with Ice Storm and Princess Luna, one that would grow with time and trust.

The arrival into the game room was another amazing sight. Fire glanced at the tomes of books on the shelves, no doubt these being the pricvate collection that the Princesses readily enjoyed studying. But the most interesting thing that caught the older filly's interest was the scale model of Canterlot.

"This room is amazing," she said leaning closer to examine the detail of the model, finding several landmarks like Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and even where her house was!

She then heard Princess Luna ask about relighting the fire in the fireplace, snapping the red unicorn out of her studies.

"Oh sure," she said as a fireball hovered above the tip of her horn. She was about to let it float towards the waiting fireplace but then decided to add a little flare to it. She began to mold the ball into a new shape, giving it legs, a head, and wings until it finally looked like a phoenix. She then let the phoenix glide into the fireplace, relighting the logs and bringing heat and more light back into the room. She heard about the interesting game that Luna proposed about telling a story about something. Before answering the first one Ice Storm answered correctly what the story was referring to.

"That's great Ice. That was exactly what I thought it was."

The blue unicorn then offered to go after Fire, to which the red unicorn thought about what story to tell. Finally she came up with an idea.

"Ok here's mine. I'm everypony and everything I see. If a plant or a chair is place next to me, I instantly become this. When a pony raises their hoof or turns their head, I become them and do the same thing. But if a pony speaks, I remain mute witness, forced to change from one form to the next. When I am broken, I become many forms of what I see, but not as grand as I once was."

[Hippo]

Luna chuckled out loud at the surprise at Ice Storm's immediate response. Perhaps her riddle wasn't nearly as cheeky as she thought. At least the ponies understood how to play the game at any rate. "Amazing, Ice Storm! You'd be surprised how many ponies aren't able to figure it out at first."

Luna was impressed by Fire Heart's artwork she ignited into the fireplace. "Alright, Fire Heart, you go next. Let's see if your riddles are as creative as your fire." As Fire Heart started explaining the riddle, she was intrigued on the context of the words and how they sounded. It becomes something... It remains a mute witness... Luna held her muzzle down in thought. This certainly was a tricky one to figure out. But could Luna be stumped by a unicorn student? It probably wouldn't be the first time. "Oh! I think I know it. Is it... a mimicker?"

​

[IceStorm]

The praise that she got from the Princess and Fire Heart made Ice feel a bit more confident in of herself. She heard Luna tell her that most don't get it on the first try, and Fire say that it was exactly what she thought it was as well. However, her attention quickly turned to Fire Heart as she told her own story. She talked about something that became something else but that something else had to be standing in front of it, and it was forever mute mimicking the copy that it became. But it was also something that broke. She heard princess Luna reply that it was a Mimicker. "Hmmm. Well, let's see. You become everything you see, and every pony you see. You do the same thing that your original does, and when they speak you remain mute... You are also something that can break..." she thought out loud pondering. "Are you a window?" she asked.

[Lux]

Fire Heart moved her head to the side as Luna gave her answer, wondering what a Mimicker was. Granted the red unicorn didn't know about all the fantastic and sometimes scary creatures that dwelt within Equestria. But if there was something that could take the form of other ponies of things she could only hope it was friendly. Still, could she have stumped a Princess on her first try with this game?

"Err... I'm not sure what a MImicker is, but I hope it's a nice creature. Not like those Changelings."

The older filly paused as a chill ran up her spine, recalling that time when Canterlot celebrated a royal wedding only to have it interrupted by a swarm of evil. Even though time had passed from that moment, it still haunted Fire Heart's memory when she was just starting in Princess Celestia's School and afraid for her parents, friends, teachers, and even her own safety.

"Anyway, unfortunately that's not what i was talking about for this riddle, but something a little simpler."

Ice Storm answered next about the riddle, saying a window. The filly smiled knowing that the blue unicorn focused on the last clues of the riddle, one that referred to the thing breaking.

"Wow, you were really close Ice Storm! Alright, I'll tell you who I am. I'm not a Mimicker or a window, but a mirror. A mirror takes the form of anything or anypony put in front of it with its reflection. It can't though mimic sound though. When it breaks, a mirror then becomes several little mirror shards which still reflect. Guess I was thinking about the one old mirror in Princess Celestia's School, a great big one that hangs on a wall. Anyway, looks like it's your turn Ice."

[Hippo]

It wasn't a mimicker. However, Fire Heart seemed in wonder of what a mimicker is. "You don't know? Oh!" Luna squeed some excitement, as it gave her an opportunity to teach something very basic and easy to understand. Easy for ponies with a little creature sense, anyway. "No, they much more docile than changelings. A mimicker is a rare creature found in Equestria. They usually look like rocks, although most don't really know what they look like. These creatures take the form of things around them. Since they are always around rocks, which are heavily abundant in Equestria, it's possible their original form is something else entirely." Luna gasp with enthusiasm, as the great and mysterious mimicker was a very strange and rare creature, but so rare that it was too scarce for even her to wittness. "And actually, some ponies say they don't even exist. Even I have never seen one, but many ponies in years past have stated their claims that they are real. But none of those ponies are alive today to tell their story. I hope one day to befall one of these creatures." Luna finished her lecture, one that was in the middle of guessing the answer to a riddle. "Oh, so please continue. Was Ice Storm correct?"

It turned out it was a mirror. It all made sense now. "Miss Fire Heart, that was terrific! How does it feel to stump a Princess?" Luna smiled teasingly, but also competitively.

"Please Ice Storm, do tell your riddle." Luna was having fun, and maybe enough to see it overflowing out of the Princess' watery glare. Too many ponies were always on about asking her questions about the past, or complaining about things that happen at night. But these ponies. These ponies were real company. And Luna would probably sooner take them in for the night before they could say otherwise.

​

((In case you're wondering what a mimicker is, I pulled it from the IDW comic, Cutie Mark Crusaders Micro-series issue.))

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm listened as Fire explained the riddle that she spoke of, stating that it was a mirror. Of course, it made since now, but when Luna started mentioning what a Mimicker was and how it supposedly worked, it intrigued Ice Storm. The fact that they were much more docile than changelings were. This relieved Ice because she didn't need another group of things running around that wanted to kill every pony. The more she spoke about them though, the more Ice became interested, especially after the princess said that they were so rare she'd never seen one. That caught Ice's attention, and she wondered if they were possibly endangered. However it seemed like both Luna and Fire were anxious to hear her story. As she got ready to speak up though she could see how genuinely the princess seemed to be enjoying herself. Her emotions sounded pure and it didn't feel like either of them were being a bother to her. She, she felt like the friend that Ice had always imagined her to be if they had ever crossed paths, and for a moment, she was awestruck. She couldn't believe that something this amazing was happening to her, and she took this as a sign that the princess's previous statement about a warm future starting for her now being a real thing. She hoped that everything continued to go on this upward path. When Luna asked for her story, she nodded. "Alright, here it goes."

"I rise above all to shed light on the land, but the light I shine is not my own. I am accompanied by many others like me, but to far to give the light that I do. While I am out, I can see all that is in the land and all that is in the land can see me, and even when I can't shine down upon thee I am always there watching over. I then slowly disappear to repeat it all again," Ice stated with a smile. She wondered if they'd be able to guess what it was.

[Lux]

Fire Heart couldn't help but chuckle when Princess Luna jumped on the idea of teaching her and Ice Storm something new. The red unicorn sat back in her chair and listened about the strange creature called the Mimicker. It fascinated the pony that such a creature existed, one that changed its form to match the things around it.

"Wow that's really neat. I'm just learning about magical creatures in my new class, but I bet my teacher hasn't heard about that one. Thanks for teaching me that. Who knows, maybe one day I'll see this Mimicker. Have you ever taught somepony before Princess, like either a class like I'm in or privately? I'm just saying that you sound like you'd make a great teacher with everything you know."

Upon first meeting the Princess Fire Heart felt nervous. After all the Alicorn was a wise and powerful presence and the older filly had yet to see her in a public setting much less personally like she did now with Ice Storm. But the more she interacted with the Princess, the more comfortable she felt. She also felt comfortable around Ice Storm who the red unicorn got to know more and more as the hours passed. It was now time for Ice to give her riddle as Fire listened carefully for any clues.

"Is it the moon? Or a star?"

[Hippo]

Luna listened intently, paused for a moment when Ice Storm was done, and then smiled. "Oh Miss Storm, you shouldn't be that forward. Of course I know this one! It's quite obvious, too!" Luna was tickled that Ice Storm would not only pick one that the Princess would be able to get, but that she would also be able to relate to it personally. Luna felt a little embarrassed for the blue unicorn, for she might have impressed the Princess more if she had told a riddle that was more difficult to obtain the answer to. Nonetheless, Luna's confidence over-payed attention to the other ponies in the play room, and she laughed out loud mistakenly. "Heh, oh. Well, maybe you can think of a harder one. 'Rise above the land, light not my own, I see all the land, and slowly disappear to repeat it all again'? Simple!" Luna gasped and smirked. She held her head high with overconfidence and no room for second guessing. "It's an apple."

​

[IceStorm]

The riddle that Icy gave, she felt was decent, yet not overly hard. It wasn't really meant to be anything hard, but more, a sign of respect to the pony that was giving them refuge for the evening. The Princess was interacting with them the same way any other pony would do. She was playing games and telling stories and she even let them watch her raise the moon. That alone was special to Ice within it's own right and even though the moon was blocked by the snow, it meant the world to her to watch that from her idol bring the light giving disk of the night into the sky for all to see that aren't being afflicted with this storm. She turned her head towards Fire Heart who seemed to also be interested in the Mimicker before turning to her. Upon completion of her riddle, Fire guessed the answer correctly the first time, but before she could say such Luna began speaking.

She giggled a bit when Luna said that the answer was obvious and that she shouldn't have been so forward with it. She recollected the riddle and then shot Ice a quick smirk before stating that it was an apple. Ice nearly burst out laughing at the comment, but she contained herself. The smirk gave her the inclination that the princess knew what it was. Of course she did! the riddle was about the very thing she controlled! Ice's giggle fit calmed as she turned to Fire Heart. "You were correct Fire, for the item I was speaking of was Luna's moon itself. A beacon to all of those why feel lonely to know that every night, there is at least one pony watching over them and keeping them company," she said looking to Luna before placing a hoof on her own chest. "Right here," she smiled.

[Lux]

For a moment Fire Heart thought that her guess with the riddle was too easy. After all with the Princess on the Night being with them surely the challenge that Ice Storm set before her and Luna would be something not related to the night sky. Still though from what Fire could gather the moon was the closest thing she could guess. On the other hoof, mentioning the moon in a riddle, although easy to guess, would be a sign of respect to Ice's and Fire's gracious host.

Fire couldn't believe that Luna guessed that the answer was an apple. Sure an apple appears and disappears from a tree and then reappears again the next season, but the older filly was surprised at how certain Luna felt answer was. To her delight, Ice announced that Fire had guessed the riddle right again.

"Hey, I'm getting good at this game. But that's a really nice thing to say Ice about looking up at the moon like that. Kind of reminds me of how I would sneak out of the house or out of my dorm certain nights and find a park or a hillside and either dance or just sit quietly. I guess looking at the moon made me feel at peace, like no matter what happened during the day,good or bad, I could count on it being there. It was nice to know of something constant in my life I guess."

[Hippo]

A stroke of fear shook Luna as she realized the obvious answer made her's incorrect. She blushed, having guessed an apple to a riddle that not only was fairly easy and was an object Luna dealt with nightly, literally, but also that it symbolized the appreciation Ice Storm had for the Princess and her presence she created across Equestria every night for ponies who are graced by the moonlight. Luna was still embarrassed about missing the riddle, and therefore changed two shades of colors, first blushing at losing the game to a young unicorn magic student, and then again when realized the whole point of saying the riddle was to pay tribute to the princess of the night, and how Ice Storm admired her so. And Fire Heart agreed.

Luna, after a short while of not saying anything, finally smiled. "Dear ponies, you flatter me. I'm happy to be a source of inspiration to you both."

It had been getting late, and Luna wasn't sure how late her new friends would be able to stay up. After all, most ponies were not like her, she would be up all night long anyway, they couldn't outlast her. Luna also realized her schedule, while flexible, didn't really account for many spaces for playing games with ponies. So it inevitably came to Luna bringing her session to and end. But she could not do it without assuring the ponies of their company. "Well, ponies. It has been fun to play this game. I'm afraid I might have some things to do soon that require my individual concentration. However." Luna stood up slowly, and smiled with enthusiasm. "I was wondering if you two would like to stay in the castle tonight. We have a few guest rooms readily available for nobles to visit, but no one is here visiting tonight other than you."

​

[IceStorm]

The smile that was on Ice Storm's face grew, both in size and warmth as the pair of ponies around her reflected on the riddle that she gave as well as the symbolic meaning over it rather that the simplicity of the riddle itself. She listened as Fire started talking about how it reminded her of when she was younger and she used to sneak outside to either dance or just sit on a hill and look to the sky. That looking at the moon made her feel at peace because it was the one thing that she knew would always be there. Luna herself giggled a bit and said that they were flattering her. Ice smiled. "It's true though. As much as I don't want to think there are, but I'm sure there are other ponies that haven't had much good going for them, but your moon serves as an inspiration to all of them. Like Fire said,it's the one thing that we can count on to always be there, and at least for ponies like me, that means a lot," she smiled.

Her smile quickly turned upside down though, as a very deep blush overtook her when Luna mentioned that it was about time to wrap up the night and mentioned that she had some rooms available for them to sleep in for the evening. She knew that it was going to have to come to this eventually. After all, all of Princess Luna's royal duties, were presumably at night, and it wasn't like they could help her with them, and most ponies were asleep this late anyway. The sudden shift in her demeanor, almost a dead giveaway that something was bothering her as she approached Luna and began speaking almost in a whisper. "Um... Princess... may I speak with you in a separate room? There's... something I need to tell you before I can accept you invitation to stay here tonight," she stated hoping that she wouldn't make the princess upset or angry at her for what she had to say.

[Lux]

Fire Heart watched as Princess Luna blushed knowing that Ice's riddle was to honor the Princess. Fire was not usually one to use flattery or be boastful, but it was the truth that the moon was a pleasing thing for her. In truth although Fire Heart was excited that she won the game, she wondered how Princess Luna felt losing to a unicorn, one who would never have the power nor experience that being a long-lived Alicorn granted. But to her happiness the Princess seemed to not be upset or very embarrassed about this fact, even going as far as to thank Fire and ice.

Sadly Luna announced that their time together was drawing to a close, a fact that caused the red unicorns to droop in sadness. But then she brightened up hearing that she could stay in the castle and not have to brave the chilling wind and deep snow to find her way back to her school and dorm room.

"I would love to stay here overnight. Thanks Princess Luna."

Fire then noticed that upon the offer of a chance to stay in a guest room, Ice Storm suddenly went from her excited self to becoming very silent. Before the older filly could ask the blue unicorn what the matter was, Ice seemed to whisper something to the Princess, like she had something to ask her that the otherwise sociable mare didn't want Fire to know. Those whispers were a little painful to the older filly as it brought up memories of how after a certain magical outburst, the fillies and colts of her school would shy away from her and the whispers behind her back that she knew were about her. Though she tried to keep a happy facade, there were parts of her sadness that shown through.

"If you two want to, you know, talk without me being here I can, I don't know, go somewhere else."

[Hippo]

"You are quite welcome." Luna responded to Fire Heart's gratefulness.

Ice Storm flushed out in color, and was looking all too uncomfortable about the situation. She didn't seem eager to go to bed, almost like that of a orange filly she knows from Ponyville. It would suggest some kind of fear, Luna suspected. "Now now, I can arrange you both in separate bedrooms so you will not be disturbed. Who knows? Maybe one of you is a loud snorer!" Luna winked at Ice Storm, not really knowing if this was the legitimate reason. If not, she would soon find out what the matter was.

Unfortunately for Ice Storm's anxiety, it might have to wait just a tad. "I'll walk Fire Heart to her room first. Come." Luna walked out of the game room, and walked down a long hallway, that featured several painted portraits of ponies of the past who server the Princesses during their lifetime. Most of them unassumingly were gone by now. A couple turns through the wing and hallway, and they approached a series of rooms, much like that of a hotel hallway. "This first one on the left. It has a great view of the North courtyard." Luna pushed open the door to reveal a colorful room, all adorned with the amenities one would expect a Canterlot Castle suite to have. However, the size of the room itself was small enough for the modest of ponies to not be completely overwhelmed. Luna left Fire Heart to explore her room. "How is it? I hope this will suit your needs."

​

((Lux will post next, and when Fire Heart is put to bed, Luna and Ice Storm can one-on-one))

[Lux]

As Fire Heart was about to excuse herself from the room to keep whatever the matter was with Ice Storm a secret, Luna mentioned about putting the two ponies in separate rooms, giving an excuse that one may be a heavy snorer. Fire had a feeling that this wasn't the case, and perhaps it was best that she didn't know. There was much already said today that was personal and the last thing Fire wanted to do was to delve into places that she would rather not be. Without giving a second thought, Fire would be escorted to her room first.

"Ok then. Good night Ice Storm," Fire said giving the blue unicorn a hug, "It was nice meeting you. If for some reason I don't see you in the morning, I hope to meet you again sometime, maybe in Canterlot or where you live in Ponyville."

With that Fire followed the Princess down the hall, looking at the portraits of past nobility staring back at her. At last they came to a stop as Fire Heart was shown her room. It was perhaps the best place that she would be sleeping in, certainly more fancy than her dorm or even her bedroom at home. Looking out the window, although not seeing much due to the storm, the older filly could imagine the view and hoped that with the new day she'd get a spectacular look at the city.

"This room is amazing! Thank you so much for having me here and letting me stay. This was probably the most magical time that I ever had!"

With that the overly happy pony gave Luna a hug, the fact that she was a Princess and perhaps not used to random ponies displaying such affection not even crossing the red unicorn's mind.